City council passes $2.9B budget after deliberating 7 days

The average homeowner in Calgary will pay $78 more in municipal taxes in 2012, city council has decided.

After nearly seven days of debate, council passed a $2.9-billion spending plan for next year.

Councillors voted 13-2 in favour of the budget. Aldermen Andre Chabot and Peter Demong voted against it, saying a six per cent hike — $6.60 more per month — was too high.

"That's an increase beyond what council had already kind of set expectations for and I'm just trying to keep in line with what council had approved and the indicative tax rate that we had directed administration to bring forward and trying to keep it with what Calgarians had expected from council," said Chabot.

The budget was drawn up with tens of millions of dollars in spending cuts as departments searched for efficiencies. The biggest change was adding $10 million to the police budget.

The boost to police service is the only part of the budget Mayor Naheed Nenshi doesn't like. He pointed out that police services was the only department not to make cuts.

Regardless, Nenshi said Calgarians still enjoy low taxes compared to other cities and said the budget maintains improved snow clearing and that, overall, transit is still growing.

He said council has approved "modest investments in improvements in transit, and that preserves the snow-clearing budget as well as making capital investments in long-delayed things like a redevelopment of Bowness Park, Laycock Park and a lot of work on community facilities around the city."

Ald. Gord Lowe voted in support of the budget, but said there were things he doesn't like — such as no new transit service for new communities.

"I think we've done a disservice to Calgarians by cutting transit. I think we've done a disservice to Calgarians by not ensuring that the potholes in the roads are fixed. Beyond that, I think there are some rather imaginative solutions to some of the issues that were raised in the budget, using reserves and other revenue streams rather than going to the mill rate. I was extremely pleased we restored the police funding," he said.

To prevent larger tax increases in the years ahead, Lowe was pushing for a tax hike of eight per cent this year.

Lowe said a six per cent hike now only means bigger increases down the road.

The provincial education tax, which makes up the rest of the property tax bill, will be set next spring.

Council also voted for a budget increase of 5.7 per cent for 2013 and 6.1 per cent for 2014.

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CBC News  Posted: Nov 29, 2011 7:46 PM MT

City of Calgary Business plans and Budget 2012- 2014

What would it Cost to own?

With now being such a perfect time to purchase a home in Calgary I thought it might be helpful to give an example of the costs and down payment required to get your foot on the property ladder. Current low interest rates and the large inventory of condos on the Calgary market mean there's tremendous opportunity to get into your first home and stop paying rent.

This example shows the costs and what your on-going payments would be if you purchased a $349,000 home in Calgary, AB. 

Purchase price of $ 349,000

Condo fees of $65.00 / month

Amortization: 30 years

Term: 5 Years

Interest Rate:3.74% (APR 3.74%)

Down Payment                                        5%                     10%                   15%                        20%

Down Payment                                 $17,495                $34,990               $52,485                  $69,980

Mortgage                                        $332,405              $314,910             $297,415                $279,920

Default insurance premium                  2.95%                   2.20%                  1.95%                    0.00%

Default insurance premium                $9,806                   $6,928                 $5,800                        $0

Total Financing                               $342,211              $321,838             $303,215               $279,920

Principal & Interest                              $1,532                   $1,483                 $1,398                  $1,290

Heating Costs( Estimated)                       $100                      $100                    $100                     $100

Condo Fees                                              $65                        $65                      $65                       $65

Property Taxes (Estimated)                      $117                      $117                   $117                     $117

Total Monthly Payment                        $1,814                   $1,765                $1,679                  $1,572

Estimated Closing Costs                                               Payable on or before closing

Legal Fees ( approximate: including disbursement & fees)            $2,000

This chart is for Illustration purposes only. Interst rates are effective as of November 18, 2011

Rates change without notice. Interest is calculated semi-annually, not in advance.

This chart shows that it might be easier than you think. The Default Insurance Premium is the insurance that the bank requires when you put less than a 20% down payment. You've probably heard of CMHC or Genworth, these are two companies in Canada that provide this mortgage default insurance.

Please contact me today and we can get you on the path to home ownership. I have a team of experts that include home inspectors, mortgage brokers and real estate lawyers who will help make your Calgary real estate buying experience a great one.

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Full PDF article from RBC Economics Nov 2011

Ottawa, November 25, 2011 – After posting modest economic growth in 2011, most provinces can expect their outlooks to improve in 2012 and 2013, according to The Conference Board of Canada’s Provincial Outlook – Autumn 2011. 

“Private sector activity will pick up in 2012, helping to offset sharp declines in federal and provincial infrastructure spending,” said Marie-Christine Bernard, Associate Director, Provincial Forecast. “But despite little direct exposure to European markets, provincial economies would be affected if the EU sovereign debt crisis spread globally. As a result, risks to the forecast remain elevated.” 

Central and Atlantic Canada will be hampered by sluggish growth in the United States, weak consumer spending, and fiscal austerity measures. The Western provinces will once again be the growth leaders in Canada, thanks to high commodity prices and robust investment in the energy sector. 

Saskatchewan’s economy is being fuelled by the continued development of the potash industry, and steady expansion in oil and gas extraction. Real gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to rise by a brisk 5.1 per cent in 2011, and Saskatchewan will have the fastest growing provincial economy. Growth is forecast to ease to a still-impressive 2.8 per cent in 2012. 

Alberta is poised to enter another period of prolonged economic expansion. Growing demand for energy from emerging markets is expected to keep oil prices elevated. The construction sector and service industries will also reap the benefits of expected investment in the energy sector. Real GDP growth will accelerate from 3.1 per cent in 2011 to 3.6 per cent in 2012. 

British Columbia’s economy will grow at a more moderate pace of 2.6 per cent this year and 2.5 per cent in 2012, due a decline in government expenditure in infrastructure, and modest growth in consumer spending. 

In spite of the setbacks in Manitoba’s agriculture sector this year, growth in the other goods-producing industries, along with gains in wholesale trade and transportation, supported growth of 2.1 per cent in 2011. Continued demand for buses and aerospace products will keep the province’s manufacturing sector performing strongly next year. Manitoba’s real GDP is expected to advance by 2.6 per cent in 2012. 

The focus in Ontario and Quebec over the next few years will be on reducing public deficits. In addition to budgetary restraint, more moderate growth in private investment and consumer spending will limit overall growth in both provinces. Ontario’s real GDP is expected to rise by 1.8 per cent in 2011 and by 2.2 per cent in 2012. Quebec’s economy is expected to grow by 1.8 per cent in 2012, a slight improvement from the 1.5 per cent gain forecast for 2011. 

Nova Scotia can look to the future with optimism, in spite of limited private investment growth and the provincial government’s austere fiscal measures. Natural gas production is expected to commence at EnCana’s Deep Panuke offshore field early next year and will help lift real GDP growth from 1.5 per cent in 2011 to 1.8 per cent in 2012. The multi-year $25 billion shipbuilding contract that was awarded to the Halifax Shipyard is expected to bring economic benefits starting in 2013, as work gets progressively underway. 

Newfoundland and Labrador’s economy will slow in 2012 as the expansion in the mining industry reaches a more mature phase and oil production declines. Following an increase of 4.5 per cent in 2011, Newfoundland and Labrador’s real GDP growth will be limited to 0.4 per cent in 2012. 

A lull in construction along with weak growth in manufacturing and fiscal austerity measures will weigh down New Brunswick’s economic growth. After a gain of just 0.7 per cent this year, New Brunswick economy is forecast to grow by a modest 1.5 per cent in 2012. 

A rebound in Prince Edward Island’s manufacturing sector will offset lower public investment, keeping the province’s economy growing at a steady pace of 1.6 per cent in 2011 and 1.9 per cent in 2012.

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CALGARY — Alberta is poised to be Canada’s economic growth leader in the next two years, according to the Conference Board of Canada’s Provincial Outlook – Autumn 2011.

The board forecasts Alberta to have the highest year-over-year real gross domestic product growth in the country at 3.6 per cent in 2012 and 4.5 per cent in 2013, up from 3.1 per cent this year.

“Alberta is poised to enter another period of prolonged economic expansion. Growing demand for energy from emerging markets is expected to keep oil prices elevated. The construction sector and service industries will also reap the benefits of expected investment in the energy sector,” says the conference board.

“With investment totalling billions of dollars, the construction industry will average annual growth of 5.2 per cent over the next two years — an extremely strong performance given the large drawback in public infrastructure spending in 2012,” adds the report.

It says 81,000 new jobs are forecast for this year, putting increased pressure on an already-tight labour market and keeping employee compensation growing at one of the fastest rates in the country.

The province will create another 52,000 net jobs in 2013, and the unemployment rate will fall below five per cent by the end of the year (down from 6.6 per cent in October 2011), predicts the conference board.

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mtoneguzzi@calgaryherald.com

Four future Calgary rec centres dealt setback as Ottawa denies funding

An angry array of community organizations and city council members are castigating the Harper government, accusing it of political interference after it refused to help fund four new recreation centres in Calgary, leaving the projects in tatters.

The city has been banking on between $82 million and $100 million worth of help from PPP Canada, a brainchild of the Conservative government, which funds up to one-quarter of major infrastructure projects that use the public-private partnership model.

In an extraordinary press conference Thursday, Mayor Naheed Nenshi said even though the board of the independent Crown corporation unanimously approved the funding in the spring, the federal government is now refusing to hand over any money.

He brandished a three-paragraph letter received Thursday morning from PPP Canada, which stated funding has been declined for Calgary.

“Obviously this comes as a surprise to all of us, as a shock to all of us, and we think Calgarians deserve a better response than this,” Nenshi said.

“Calgarians deserve a rationale to what has happened here.

“The question in our minds and in everyone’s minds: why did the government of Canada change its mind so drastically?”

It is a major setback for the three proposed rec centres in the southeast and one in the northwest, and Nenshi is demanding an explanation from Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Groups that have been pushing for new rec centres in the desperately underserved city were apoplectic.

They, along with local aldermen, vented Thursday, accusing the federal Tories of taking Calgary votes for granted, adding this latest decision appears to show they don’t care about the city.

With tears in his eyes, Paul Sinclair, the head of the northwest community advisory group, said he arrived at city hall Thursday believing there would be good news.

“This is a slap in the face of all Calgarians,” he said.

Ald. Shane Keating, whose ward would take three of the rec centres, went even further accusing federal Tory politicians of taking Calgary votes for granted, adding he believes it was political interference that scuttled the deal.

He pointed out the federal government has set aside $2 billion for P3 projects, but has spent less than $200 million so far.

Tens of thousands of Calgary children, he said, will now suffer because of the decision.

“Along the line, somewhere, somehow, someone had a different opinion or different vie of what P3 Canada supposed to be. And unfortunately that individual opinion has surpassed whatever is written and whatever is intended with the whole project,” he said.

The city is proposing to build three of the rec centres in the underserved southeast, and one in the northwest – with a total price tag of roughly $430 million.

For weeks, speculation has been swirling the funding would not come through. It was confirmed on Thursday.

It is a significant development, and particularly hits the southeast, where local aldermen have lobbied hard for one mega-complex and two smaller ones.

The large facilities are planned for Seton, near the new south hospital, and just north of the northwest’s Royal Oak community. The other two southeast rec centres are planned for Quarry Park and the Great Plains industrial area.

Reaction from the city and community leaders is expected to be furious, and it got its start early on Twitter.

"Is this another Portrait Gallery? After two years of planning and $2 million investment, refusal at eleventh hour," Ald. Druh Farrell wrote, referring to Ottawa's move to cancel a possible western location for a national portrait gallery.

"Great nothing for the NW again!" realtor Paul Walsh wrote on the social-networking website.

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rcuthbertson@calgaryherald.com

 Re/Max says since 2000, the average value of a Canadian home has doubled, rising from $163,951 to $339,030 in 2010.

A report from the real estate organization says that billions spent in new construction, renovation and renewal have pushed up the average residential price in the country's major centres.
Re/Max also says condominiums also have changed the urban landscape over the past decade, especially in British Columbia and Alberta, where they comprise 25 to 50 per cent of residential sales.
The real estate group says the value of residential building permits issued nationally between 2000 and 2010 was $340-billion and an estimated $450-billion was spent on renovations.
Re/Max says the impact of this has fuelled the Canadian residential real estate market — as well as the construction industry — for more than a decade.
Canada's population growth also has been a key factor in the growth of the housing market with Re/Max saying since 2000, Canada's population has experienced double-digit growth of 11 per cent.

KELOWNA, B.C.— The Canadian Press
Published Monday, Nov. 07, 2011 9:38AM EST
Last updated Monday, Nov. 07, 2011 9:40AM EST

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Multi-family home market draws investors

Volatile stock markets and minuscule returns from fixed income have investors looking at global real estate. But rather than single-family residential property, the hot ticket these days is multiplefamily dwellings.

At a luncheon for financial analysts with the Edmonton CFA Society, Eric Bonnor, senior vice-president with Brookfield Asset Management in Toronto, quoted from the publication Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2012, a survey of 950 real estate executives by the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Urban Land Institute.

"Canadian real estate remains the most stable in North America," Bonner said. "Canadian investors fed up with disappointing stocks and low-yielding bonds sit on lots of funds, looking for long-term cash flowing assets like real estate, and are having trouble placing the funds that they have. Investors condition themselves to accept lower domestic returns, or go outside the country and chase higher yields."

The booklet lists Toronto and Vancouver as the most attractive real estate markets in Canada, being 24-hour destination points for businessmen and other visitors. Calgary is rated third and Edmonton fourth.

It is written that Edmonton and Calgary are oilsands markets, but Edmonton "quietly prospers in less of a see-saw mode, historically cushioned by the presence of the provincial government." And the commercial tenancies differ, in that Edmonton features "more stable engineering companies and not so many wildcatters."

The research adds that Edmonton has a tight industrial real estate market with low vacancy rates, that retail building is strong as people "earn big bucks in the oilsands country and spend in local malls and power centres, including one of the world's largest in west Edmonton." Homebuilders do well due to appetites from people with ample salaries. And local governments hike development assessments because "it's good political optics versus raising property taxes."

But there are problems with residential real estate in North America. The S&P Case-Shiller index shows house prices in 20 U.S. cities are down 3.8 per cent in the 12 months ending Aug. 31, and have fallen 31 per cent since their 2006 peak. With three or four years of unsold inventory in the country, there are no signs of immediate reversal in prices. In Canada, there are concerns that a housing bubble in certain parts of the country could cause homes in those areas to fall 20 per cent in value.

To avoid the risk of buying additional residential homes, people are looking at investing in commercial and industrial properties. And presenters at the luncheon said multiple-family dwellings have become treasures, filled by people leaving their homes because they can't keep up mortgage payments, plus those unable to afford buying a house at all.

Seamus Foran, a senior vice-president with Brookfield Asset Management, said the U.S. real estate market has $180 billion of known distressed assets, and that "the shining star for U.S. real estate today has been the multi-family market; as U.S. home ownership continues to decline, the multi-family market has been there to reap the benefits. However we need to be cautious as new development has started in this sector."

He noted that in most U.S. apartment buildings, the turnover ratio of tenants on a year-to-year basis is at least 50 per cent, considerably higher than in Canada.

"There's a reluctance to make a long-term commitment to buy residential houses" in the U.S., Foran said. "And the multi-family market really benefits from short-term leases, because it gives the owners opportunities to bring rents up, each time those leases fold."

As for Canada, the Emerging Trends booklet says:

"The multi-family residential sector will stay tight as continuing immigrant flows sustain demand in the major cities. Even if job growth declines and home-buying cools, apartments should be 'a safe haven.' When people have less, they rent.

An increasing number of younger adults delay buying houses; they simply cannot afford them after recent price spikes. Aging demographics also favour more apartment demand; empty nesters and seniors move out of suburban homes into smaller, easier-to-maintain units with urban conveniences."

In summary: "Investors can never get their hands on enough apartments. And everybody has the same idea. When you get some, hold onto them."

David Glicksman, a partner with PwC, said that foreign investors in U.S. property should be aware of whether they have to file U.S. income tax returns, or whether it's done through a firm or fund. They also need to know how to declare income or losses on their Canadian tax returns, if there are withholding taxes, if there are U.S. taxes on the sale of the investment, and whether you get a foreign tax credit in Canada.

© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald

BY RAY TURCHANSKY, FOR POSTMEDIA NEWS NOVEMBER 20, 2011 11:29 AM

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A Canadian real estate expert says the best way to predict housing sales and price gains is to track population and job growth numbers.
Don Campbell with the Canadian Real Estate Investment Network tells 660News, Calgary leads the country in those two categories which
usually produces a bit of a housing boom 18 months later.
Campbell says, actually, between now and 2016, Calgary and Edmonton will become the country's real estate hotbeds.
He predicts house prices in Alberta's two biggest cities will rise by 5 to 7 per cent in 2012, and post gains of 7 to 10 per cent in 2013.
Campbell says national real estate numbers don't tell the real story because they truly reflect regional conditions.
He adds, using Canadian housing starts and sales numbers to plan for the future is like looking in the rearview mirror.

Kevin Usselman
2011/11/15

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